Q. Hi Rabi, I have a half brother of my father that we don't know if he is still living or not. Due to what would be his age, the most probable answer is that he was niftar (would have been over 120). He used to live in Cuba, and he remained there when the last member of our family left the country. Over the years we have tried many ways of contacting him and trying to find him with no luck. We would like to do a limud for his Neshama and say the Kaddish. Two issues:
1. We don't have a date of death, or a confirmation of death. Can we say Kaddish on his behalf?
2. We don't know the name of his mother (he was Sefaradi and we use the name of the mother). He was the son of my grandfather's first wife who died in childbirth. Should we use his name and the name of Sarah Imeinu?
A. Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that you should choose a day of fasting, preferably Shiva Asar Betamuz and set that day as a Yohrzait to recite Kaddish and honor his name.
Horav Dovid Pam Shlit'a maintains that in this case the name of the father that is known should be used, instead of the general Sarah Imenu name.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Dovid Pam and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit'a.
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